Foreword

On behalf of my fellow committee members, I am pleased to present this report outlining the delivery and outcomes of the 2017/18 Bedstraw Eradication Program to the contributors of the Grains, Seeds and Hay Industry Funding Scheme.

The 2017/18 Bedstraw Eradication Program hit all its milestones and the two bedstraw-infested properties are now in the final phase of a nine-year eradication program.

This is particularly exciting, as eradicating any weed species is a notoriously difficult exercise. The determination of the program staff and affected landholders has seen success in preventing seed-set and reducing the soil-borne seed bank on both properties.

An important aspect of the Industry Funding Scheme is that it is industry’s scheme. Scheme contributors determine how their money is spent. The results of the Management Committee’s survey of growers suggested that three-horned bedstraw was an unknown risk to many growers. This report is the first step and building industry awareness and understanding of the risk of three-horned bedstraw to the Western Australian grains/seed/hay industry.

As we move into 2018/19, I am confident that the Bedstraw Eradication Program will move closer to the ultimate goal of eradicating three-horned bedstraw from the State.